What is wrong with this buck?

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Hillbilly Hunter

Hillbilly Hunter

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This is the 3rd year that I have had this buck on camera that I know of. I have seen him just a few times but he looks very different from a doe so he is fairly easy to recognize. What would cause this deer to not grow antlers. The tiny button/spike is barely visible. He is at least 3.5 years old.
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I don't have your answer, but we had one almost identical to it on my parents house place a few years ago. We never did see him the next year that we know of.
 
I always have at least one or two that just dont grow, i have two this year that i know are atleast 2.5, look exactly like that one
 
There is a lot going on with that deer, black tail and a black stripe all the way to its head, I shot 1 just like it during muzzle loader season with a piss poor rack 3pt on 1 side with spike on the other, it was a 2.5 year old at least. Wouldn't surprise me if it has white stockings on the feet like mine also.
 
mike243 said:
There is a lot going on with that deer, black tail and a black stripe all the way to its head, I shot 1 just like it during muzzle loader season with a piss poor rack 3pt on 1 side with spike on the other, it was a 2.5 year old at least. Wouldn't surprise me if it has white stockings on the feet like mine also.
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The coloration of that deer is very common for my area. It is not uncommon to see a black "mane" on deer around here.
 
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He doesn't appear to have adequate testosterone (based on barely stained tarsals). Testicles present, though seem smaller than normal for a 3.5yo.

The genetic disorders causing an absence of testosterone receptors at the cell level cause male deer to be born with undescended testicles (still in the abdomen), and appear to be does externally... clearly this buck is producing 'some' testosterone, as well as having 'some' testosterone receptors.

Id remove him regardless... no need to continue to feed him.... and you wont have to use your buck tag on him.
 
Pedicle damage. He's had his antlers broken off at the skull and the scar tissue from healing closed off the capillaries that supply the nutrients for building new antler. It's not genetic and he's not sick. Lots of folks assume it's bad genetics because they see bucks with one or no antlers or malformed antlers, but that's not true. It's just old injury.

Here's one on my place still doing buck things, rubbing a tree, hitting scrapes. Not a young guy either. He used to have antlers but a few years ago there was a rash of young yearling & 2yr old bucks that destroyed one another. Every buck on the place had broken tines, beams, even entire antlers broken off at the skull. I knew I'd be seeing some weird stuff in following years and sure enough here's this guy. It happens.

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Ski said:
Pedicle damage. He's had his antlers broken off at the skull and the scar tissue from healing closed off the capillaries that supply the nutrients for building new antler. It's not genetic and he's not sick. Lots of folks assume it's bad genetics because they see bucks with one or no antlers or malformed antlers, but that's not true. It's just old injury.

Here's one on my place still doing buck things, rubbing a tree, hitting scrapes. Not a young guy either. He used to have antlers but a few years ago there was a rash of young yearling & 2yr old bucks that destroyed one another. Every buck on the place had broken tines, beams, even entire antlers broken off at the skull. I knew I'd be seeing some weird stuff in following years and sure enough here's this guy. It happens.

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I dont think Hillbillys buck is from pedicle damage... he has zero characteristics of a 3.5yo buck (muscle mass, dark tarsals, thick neck, etc). If he had all those things, then i would agree with you.
 
megalomaniac said:
I dont think Hillbillys buck is from pedicle damage... he has zero characteristics of a 3.5yo buck (muscle mass, dark tarsals, thick neck, etc). If he had all those things, then i would agree with you.
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I agree he has zero characteristics of a 3yr old buck. But I don't think he is a 3yr old buck. I'd have to see a broadside pic of him but in that video I don't see a 3.5yr old.
 
Here's another buck same property same general age as the antlerless buck in my other post. Almost all of the bucks this general age have some kind of antler issues. Some just weird shaped or weak sides but some of the severely injured ones have really bad racks now.

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Ski said:
I agree he has zero characteristics of a 3yr old buck. But I don't think he is a 3yr old buck. I'd have to see a broadside pic of him but in that video I don't see a 3.5yr old.
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He is 3.5 at least. I have been seeing him that long. He has one tiny antler that I can see, so he is capable of growing something.
 
Especially If he's 3.5+ he has major issues beyond just not growing antlers. I too would remove him from the equation!
 
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I had a strange one show up kind of like that. I saw him one day in person he has 6 on one side. Looks almost like a double main
 
That deer has clean white tarsals and his body sure doesn't look like a 3.5 year old. Think mega has it right, low testosterone. Testicles could have been damaged in his early life.
 
BSK said:
Either a major problem producing testosterone or a major problem with testosterone receptors. As for taking him out, I bet he has little interest in breeding.
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You cant change genetics in a free ranging herd anyways 😀

But seriously, the only reason to let him keep eating food until next year is if you think he might develop a lot of extra carcass weight. I bet he is gonna be super tender... almost, but not quite like a steer. If he didn't add a lot of weight from last year, id go ahead and cull him and save the browse for other deer. If he is a lot bigger this year than last year, id give him another year to fill out for more sausage.
 

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